Shoe-softening apparatus



F. RlcKs ET AL sHoE` soFTENING APPARATUs Fled Jan.18, 1922 2 sheets-shea 1 May l, 1928.

fMayl', 1928; Leezszs F. RICKS ET AL SHOE SOFTENING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 18, 1922 2 Sheets-Smeer 2 l VENTURE im m Patented May l, i923.

FRED KICKS AND ALFRED EDVTABD RICHARDS. OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO UNITED SHOE T'ACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW `JERSEY, A

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SHOE-SOFTENING APPARATUS.

Application filed January 18, 1922, Serial No. 530,151, and in Great Britain January 25, 1921.

`This invention relates to the art of softening parts of boots and shoes in process of manufacture and is herein exemplified with especial relation to preparing, regulating,

.and administering softening media. to the toes of boots and shoes.

In one Vrespect an object of the invention is to meet the requirements of boot and shoe manufacturers who, through choice or necessity, use combustible gas to furnishv the heat for such treatment. VViththis requirement in view the invention provides an apparatus comprising one or more treating chambers into which the shoes are inserted, a boiler for water, a burner forv heating the water in the boiler so as to convert it into moist vapor to supply one of the treating media, and a. novel arrangement of ducts by which the hot-products of combustion and the moist vapor may be intermingled in variableV proportions before entering the treating'chamber or chambers. So far as we are aware, hot products of combustion havenever heretofore been used for this purpose.

Other features of the invention as exemplified by the accompanying drawings consist in a gas burner arranged under a pressure-sustaining boiler, a treating chamber arranged above the boiler', a flue extending from the combustion space to the treating chamber, and a vapor duct extending from the steam space ofthe boiler to the aforesaid-flue. 'By this combination of elements the dry hot products of combustion are conducted to the treating chamber to treat those elements of the worlrthat become soft when heated, but'these heated gases may be tempered more or less, before reaching the work, by the moist vapor that passes from the steam space of the boiler into the flue through which the products of combustion pass.

Another object of the invention is to meet various requirements of all the. different kinds of leather and stiening materials generally used in the manufacture of boots and shoes, as by providing a softening apparatus with which dry heat alone, moist vapor alone, or dry heat and moist vapor combined in various proportions subject to regulation may be supplied to the materials to be treated.

To this end, another feature consists in arranging .dampers to control the admission of the products of combustion and the moist vapor respectively to a flue so that each may be regulated independently of the other even to the extent of entirely shutting olf either. i

A further feature consists in making the control for the steam in the boiler in such manner that it will relieve excess pressure in inverse proportion to the relief afforded by communication with the passageway that leads to the treating chamber. This obviously guards against dangerously high pressure in the boiler Without Wasting the steam when the latter is required for treatment of the Work.

- Another feature consists in arranging the aforesaid flue to extend through the boiler so that it will be entirely surrounded by the water and steam in the boiler thus utilizing the hot products of combustion most economically with regard to generating steam and also most advantageously to reduce the temperature of the gases to a degree .that will notbe injurious to the work. Still another feature consists in arranging a Water reservoir for the boiler in such position that it will be heated by the exhaust steam and products of combustion, thereby increasing the efiiciency and economy of the apparatus.

Other objects of the invention are hereinafter described and claimed and other features are shown by the accompanying drawbut is fastened to the latter by a flexible metal strap 9 the ends of Which are provided With pivot bolts 11 adapted to be slipped through bosses 13 formed on a supporting stand 67. Ting nuts carried by the bolts 11 serve to tighten the strap. rlhe Water reservoir is provided With a hinged cover 15, Which, When lifted, uncovers an opening through Which Water may be poured. The bottom of the reservoir is indicated at 17 and preferably slopes toward the front. The treating chambers are at the front ot the structure 5 and are divided by a partition 24 from an exhaust chamber 51 through which the Waste steam, vapor, and products of combustion are obliged to pass so as to give up a considerable quantity of heat to the bottom Wall 17 of the reservoir before they escape from the chamber through the exhaust port 19.

VWater for supplying the boiler 3 is discharged from the reservoir 7 through a cock 21 Which discharges into an open tunnel 23 on the front oit the boiler. The liront vall of the structure 5 has tour arched openings to receive the shoes, theedges 27 of said openings being beaded to guard against damaging the shoes. These arched openings lead respectively to individual treating chambers each of which will receive only one shoe. Each treating chamber is formed, for the most part, by an arched sheet 29, preterably made of heat-insulating material such as asbestos. These sheets'29 extend from the front wall of the structure 5 to the partition 24. The bottoms 31 ot the treating chambers are formed to permit the treating media to pass through 'them and may be made of Wire fabric. The liront edges 33 of the members 31 are in contact with the front Wall of the structure 5 While the rear edges 35 are linqcontact with the partition 24. The arched members 29 and the bottom members 31 may be put together separately to form units and inserted through the open bottom or' the structure betere the latter is mounted on the boiler. lllhen the apparatus is fully assembled they are supported by the top of the boiler and are held in place partly by the partition 24, partly by the front Wall of the structure 5, and partly. by Contact With each other. lt desired, the arched members 29 may be reinforced by sheathing 32 of sheet metal. The openings 37 through which the Waste treating media escape from the treating chambers are defined by the arched members 29 and the upper edge 25 of the partition 24.

Flues 39 extend through the boiler from bottom to top and are open at both ends, their upper ends being in registration respectively with t-he treating'chambers, one flue being provided for each chamber. These fl-ues conduct the hot products of combustion from a gas burner 61, .63, to the treating chambers, but if it were desired to provide another type of heating means, such as one or more electric units, in substitution for the gas burner the air heated thereby would pass through the tlues 39.

A trunk 41 .is arranged to extend horizontally in the upper part oi the boiler and is closed at its ends. Its purpose is to conduct steam from the steam space oll the boiler to t-he lues 39, and it is therefore connected to the fiues by branches or ducts 43. Communication between the steam space and the interior of the trunlr 41 iis controlled by a rotary valve the plug 45 o11k which is open at its end 47 to receive the steam and has a port inA `its side to releasethe steam into the trunk or into the exhaust nozzle 49, as the case may be, dependingl upon the position to which it is turned. In fact, the valve is so formed that it never entirely closes the commiuiication between the steam space and the atniosphcrc, and therefore prevents excessive pressure trom being developed in the boiler. Furthermore, the valve is turned it varies inversely the area of communication with the trunk 41 and the area oli communication with the exhaust nozzle 49. The nozzle 49 is arranged to discharge the exhaust steam in the exhaust chamber 5l under the Water reservoir. The valve 45 is provided with an operating stem 53 which extends through the front Wall o1 the boiler and is provided with a handle As shown by Fig.l 1 the/front Wall of the boiler is provided with a semi-circular index with which the tree end ot the handle eo-operates to show various degrees of regulation oli the valve.

The boiler is provided with a glass Water gage 57. funnel 23 is at a level at or near the lower part of the water gage 57 so that when the boiler has been lilled to a level that will show on the gagcthc Water will seal the filling vfunnel and prevent the escape of steam therethrough.

According to the construction shown the burners serve also as parts of the stand on which the boiler is supported. The .uprights 65 and 67 of this stand are. connected by horizontal pipes 61, 63, each pipe being provided With a series oit perforations in its upper side to emit jets of gas. The standards 65 and 67 have horizontal ducts in communication with the pipes 61, 63, thus providing an endless rectangular burner. Combustible gas is supplied through a Bunsen mixing device 69 having a gas cock 71 by which the admission of gas: may be regulated. V

As shown by Fig. 2 vthe bottom ot' the boiler is inclined from the front and back toward the middle to counteract the tendency of the hot gases to spread laterally and escape beyond the perpendicular limits of The lower end 59 of the filling Y the boiler; In fact, this formation tends to collect the heat at the middle of the boiler so that substantially all of the hot gases will pass through the flues 39. A damper 85 is arranged to regulate the size of the openings at the receiving ends of the tiues so as to determine how much of the hotf gaseswill iioiv to the treating chambers. This damper 85 is a plate of sheet metal having holes the same shape and size as the flues and arranged so that they will all register `with the flues at once. The front and back edges of the plato are bent downwardly to stiifen it and to cooperate with 1- parallel guides 87, 87 on the bottom of the boiler.

A stud 83 is affixed to the damper and is straddled by a forked arm 8l which is one part of a lever. his lever has an arm 7 5 Vprojecting from the front of the apparatus and serves as a. handle by which the damper may be shifted for purposes of regulation. `The lever is arranged on a fulcrum stud-73.v A pointer 77 formed on the handle cooperates With a gage 79 to indic: te the position of the damper.

Then the shoes are in position for treatment the foreparts of the soles will be supported by the Wire fabric 3l in the treating chambers but the heel ends of the shoes outside said chambers will be supported by a shelf 91. The shelf has trunnions 93 arranged in notches95 formed in brackets 9i'. .The shelf is otherwise supported by chains lOl anchored to hooks 99. The chains are adjustable relatively to the hooks to vary the inclination of the shelf as may be required by shoes of different styles.

Since the described apparatus has means 71 for regulating the supply of combustible means 85 for regulating the lioiv of the hot products of combustion or other hot gases to thetreating chamber, and means l5 for regulating the flow of hot moist vapor into the flues 39, the conditions in the treating ch'ambers may be altered at Will with regard to temperature and humidity to meet all the requirements of the various kinds of work that requires softening. The capacity ofthe burner is sufficient to heat the Water to boiling, and as the quantity of Water in the boiler diminishes by evaporation it may be quickly replenished from time to time by letting in small quant-ities of Water from the reservoir 7 by opening the cock 2l for a few seconds. Although no exhaust flue is shown for taking away the eX- haust gases and vapor from the apparatus itis obvious that a flue for this purpose may readily be attached to the back of the structure 5 in registration With the exhaust port 19. rlhe inclination of the bottom 17 of the reservoir and of the top of the arched member 29 directs the exhaust gases and v por from the front of the apparatus toward the rear. thus causing the flow to progress to- Ward the rear instead of permitting the gases and vapor to escape through the shoereceiving openings. This induces a slight draft of cool fresh air into the treating chambers through the shoe-receiving openings and helps to guard against overheating the Work.

n advantage in conducting the vapor into the iiues 39 instead of conducting it directly from the boiler to the treating chambers is that the hot gases and vapor become thoroughly mixed before reaching the Work. This avoids localization of hot dry gases on one part of the shoe and of excessively moist vapor on other parts. It is thus assured that all parts of the Work Will be treated uniformly. Furthermore, the areas of the treating chambers are not much greater than is necessary to accommodate the foreparts of the shoes7 and for this reason the treating media, as they pass through the treating chambers are confined in very close relation to the Work and therefore have relatively great treating etiiciency. If it is desired to restrict the escape of apor and gases from the chamber 5l it can be-done either by providing the exhaust flue with a. damper or the damper may be associated directly With the exhaust port 19. For example, when it is desired to treat with hot dry gases exclusively or with only a relatively small proportion of moist vapor it maybe in the interest of economy to restrict the escape through the exhaust port 19. Whatever Water of condensation collects on the arched members 29 will flow down the sides of the latter instead of dropping on the shoes. A relatively great proportion of the heat of the exhaust vapor and gases has direct contact with the bottom of the reservoir 7 and the Water in the reservoir is thus maintained at a tempera` lure that requires comparatively little additional heat to makeit boil.

As shown by Fig. 2 the uprights 65 and G7 of the stand are notched to receive the lower front edge of the boiler Whereas the lower rear edge bears on plane horizontal surfaces-and does not require any great degree of accuracy in proportioning the boiler and the stand to lit one into the other. Furthermore, the strap 9 and tightening bolts l1 serve not only to maintain the superstructure 5 in the desired relation to the boiler but serve also to secure the boiler to the stand so that the entire assemblage7 includii'ig the three separable principal units` is all held intact by a .single strap. The fines 39 are preferably inclined as shown by Fig. 2 so as to baffle the hot gases to some extent and therefore heat the Water in the boiler more efficiently than if they Were vertical.

Hr-iving thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

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1. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a treating chamber, combustion means, a flue arranged to conduct some of the products of combustion from said means into said chamber to treat the work therein, and va'- por-generating means operable by said combustion means and arranged to supply hot moist vapor to said flue so as to mix it with said products ot eon'ibustion.

2.v A shoe-'treating apparatus comprising a treating chamber, heat-generating means arranged to supply a current of hot gases to said chamber, and a water receptacle ai ranged to be heated by said means and arranged to mix hot moist vapor with said gases before they enter said chamber.

3. A shoe-treatiiig apparatus comprising a treating chamber, a boiler, combustion means arranged to generate hotmoist vapor in said boiler, a ilue arranged Vlo conduct some of the products olf combustion ilirom said combustion means to said chamber, and means arranged lo conduct vapor 'trom said boiler into said tluc so as Alo mix the vapor with the products of combustion in the flue.

et. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a treating chamber, a boiler, heat-generating means arranged under said boiler to genen ate hot moist. vaimr in the boiler, a tlue arranged to conduct hot gases from said heatgenerating means into said chamber, and means arranged 'to conduct hot :moist vapor from said boiler into said llue to be mingled with said hol gases.

A shoe-trading apparatus comprising a treating chamber, a boiler, heat-gencrating means arranged under said boiler to generate hot moist vapor in the boiler, a llue intersecting said boiler to conduct hot gases 'from said heat-generating means to said chamber and to radiate some ot their heat to the boiler while passing therethrough, and means arranged to conduct hot moist va por 'from said boiler into said line to be mingled with said hot gases.

G. A shoe-treating apparatus ci'nnprisingi; a treating chamber, ar burner, a lire/tube boilV- er arranged over said burner, one ol. the tire-tubes oli said boiler' being in communication with said chamber lo supply products oil1 combustion to the. latter, and means arranged to conduct hot moist vapor from the interior of said boiler to the interior oit' said lli-estube lo mix such vapor with said products ol combustion.

7. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a treating chamber, means for supplying hot moist vapor thereto, and means for erating said vapor and supplying het products ot combustion to the chamber.

8. A .hoe-treating apparatus comprising a treating chamber, a boiler arranged under said chamber, a burner arranged under said boiler, a Allue arranged to intersect said boiler to conduct products ol" combustion from said burner to said chamber, means for regulating the volume of gases that may `pass through said flue, and means for conducting hot moist vapor from said boiler to said chamber.

9. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a plurality of treating chambers each formed and arranged to receive. the torepart of a shoe, a boiler, a burner arranged under said boiler, a plurality of llues arranged to conduct products of combustion from said burner to said chambers respectively and arranged to intersect said boiler, and means forming communication between the steam space ol said boiler and said tlues respectively to supply hot moist vapor to said chambers.

ll). A shoe-treating apparatus comprising ranged to heat said chamber and boiler simullaileously, means 'for conducting some o l the vapor trom said boiler to said chainber, means for conducting some o't said vapor elsewhere than to said chamber, and regulating means for varying inversely the proportions oile Yvapor that may llow to said chamber and elsewhere.

l2. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a plurality of treating chambers, a pressuresustaining boiler and means for heating the same to generate hot moist vapor, a trunk or manifold in connnunication with the vapor space of said boiler and having branches arranged to supply vapor to said chambers respectively, said trunk having an outlet to relieve the boiler pressure otherwise than through one or more of said branches, and regulating means arranged to vary in- Yersely the proportions ot vapor permitted to flow to said chambers on the one hand and through said outlet on the other hand.

i3. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a burner, a treating chamber arranged above the burner, a closed boiler arranged between the burner and the treating chamber and 'forming a llue to conduct products of combustion from the burner into the treating chamber, and means forming a conduit from the vapor space olfV the boiler to the treating chamber.

141. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising means including a burner vlor generating hot moist vapor, a treating chamber having an inlet 'for such vapor and an out-let tor the rused vapor, means arranged` to conduct vapor from said generating means to said chamber, and a reservoir for supplying said generating means with Water to be converted into such vapor, said elements being organized to preheat the Water in said reservoir by the used vapo* issuing trom said chan".- ber and by waste products ot combustion from said heater.

15. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising three separable cooperative structures :formed to bc stacked one upon another, the lowest of said structures including a burner, the intermediate structure comprising a boiler having an intersecting rlue to conduct the products of combustion from said burner into the top structure, the latter comprisi .C a treating chamber and above that a water reservoir, said chamber being formed and arranged to receive the products of conibustion from said flue and to emit them aga-inst a Wall of said reservoir, and means :tor conducting hot vapor trom said boiler into said treating chamber, said reservoir and boiler having cooperative devices formed and arranged to replenish the boiler with Water from the reservoir.

16. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a boiler and a stand therefor having cooperative portions formed to tone into another' so as to permit separation, a unit formed to stand on said boiler and having a treating chamber, and releasable fastening means adapted to connect said stand and unit so as to keep the stand, the boiler and said unit intact in the aforesaid relations, and burner arranged under said boiler, said elements being formed to supply the treating chamber with hot products of combustion from said burner and with hot moist vapor from said boiler.

1'?. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a burner, a boiler over the burner, a treating chamber over a part of the boiler. an exhaust chamber over another part of the boiler, a Water reservoir contiguous to a Wall of said exhaust chamber. said elements being toi-med and arranged to cause hot products of combustion and hot moist vapor to flow from the burner and boiler respectively through the treating chamber and thence into said exhaust chamber to heat the Water in said reservoir, and means for conducting Water from the reservoir to replenish the boiler.

18. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising aclosed boiler, a series of treating receptacles arranged on top of the boiler and having open bottoms to admit treating media, a burner arranged under said boiler to generate hot moist vapor in the boiler, the latter having` iiues extending through it and registering with said open bottoms to conduct hot products of combustion from the burner to said receptacles, and means arranged to supply hot vapor from said boiler to said receptacles.

19. The herein described method which consists in causing combustion to generate hot moist Vapor, mingling the products oil such combustion and the hot moist vapor generated thereby, and simultaneously heating and moistening parts of a shoe by said media mingled as aforesaid.

20. The hereindescribed method which consists in causing hot products o' combustion to convert Water into hot moist Vapor. and causing said products of combustion and .said hot moist vapor simultaneously to heat and meisten parts of a. shoe.

21. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a plurality of separa-te but closely related treating chambers, a pressure-sustaining boiler adjacent to said chambers, heating means common to said chambers and boiler.y and means for supplying vapor from said boiler to said chambers individually.

22. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a chamber to receive the Work, aline arranged to conduct treating media into said chamber, mea'ns to supply hot gases through said flue, means to supply hot moist vapor through said flue, and dampers arranged to control the admission of such hot gases and hot moist vapor to said tlues so that each may be regulated independently of the other.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specication.

FRED RICKS. ALFRED EDWARD RICHARDS. 

